John Hancock Celebrates 15 Years of MLK Scholars Program

CNW Group/John Hancock
CNW Group/John Hancock

 John Hancock Celebrates 15 Years
of MLK Scholars Program

BOSTON, PRNewswire -- John Hancock, the US division of Toronto-based Manulife (NYSE: MFC), have celebrated the 15th anniversary of its annual MLK Scholars Program, the Nation’s largest and most comprehensive corporate summer jobs program of its kind. Since the program’s inception in 2008, the program has provided summer employment for more than 6,000 Boston youth at nonprofit organizations
throughout Boston and at John Hancock.

“This year marks a momentous anniversary for our MLK Scholars
Program,” said Marianne Harrison, John Hancock president and CEO.
“For the past 15 years, the program has gone far beyond a summer job for students – it also provides the skills, knowledge, education, and advice that will help them succeed across many aspects of their lives. For many Scholars, the professional relationships and financial capability established throughout the summer provide the foundation for a meaningful and prosperous future. John Hancock is extremely proud of the MLK Scholars Program and its ability to drive inclusive
economic opportunities for our young people to help build a more equitable Boston.”

Each summer, in partnership with The Boston Globe, Boston University, Mass General Brigham, and the City of Boston, John Hancock sponsors the employment of nearly 600 Boston teens at 50 local non-profit and
corporate organizations. This unique youth employment model empowers Boston teens with career readiness skills and financial literacy tools, in addition to a steady paycheck. “The MLK Scholars program is a proven model of success for Boston’s youth and for leading private and public institutions,” Michelle Wu, Mayor of Boston,
said. “Thanks to the resources and guidance from partners like John
Hancock, our City is leading the way on summer jobs programs. We
encourage others to join us in our continued commitment to youth
employment and financial education.” The John Hancock MLK Scholars summer jobs model leverages youth employment to build capacity within the non-profit community for summer programming, creating opportunities for long-term employment within our public service and private corporate sectors. The program benefits the organizations that employ MLK Scholars by engaging Boston’s diverse student population in potential career paths in their industries – with some students even returning as college interns and fulltime
hires.

For more information about the MLK Scholars program, visit https://www.johnhancock. com/about-us/corporate-responsibility/
mlk-nonprofit.html

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